Darknet Index shows Amazon has largest darknet presence, but all
Fortune 500 companies are exposed

May 17, 2017 02:40 PM Eastern Daylight Time

DENVER--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--OWL Cybersecurity, a Denver-based cybersecurity company offering
the world’s largest commercially available database of darknet data,
today announced the release of The OWL Cybersecurity Darknet Index:
Reranking the Fortune 500 using Darknet Intelligence (DARKINT™), a
study that assessed each company in the 2017 Fortune 500 list and ranked
each company based on company data exposed on the darknet.

“Using our proprietary database of darknet content,
combined with our hackishness algorithm, we are able to provide
companies with customized Darknet Index scores that allow them to
measure the efficacy of their cybersecurity efforts over time, and how
they compare to other companies in similar industries.”

The darknet is a collection of networks on the internet that are
purposefully hidden, designed specifically for anonymity. Unlike the
surface web (public information available to search engines) and the
deep web (online information requiring credentials, like banking sites
or paid firewalls), the darknet is only accessible with special tools
and software. As a result, the anonymity of the darknet facilitates the
exchange of large amounts of stolen and hacked data. The presence of a
company’s data on the darknet, and the extent of that presence, is one
measure of cybersecurity risk.

To compile the Darknet Index, OWL Cybersecurity ran each member of the
2017 Fortune 500 through the company’s proprietary OWL Vision database
and adjusted their results based on computations of “hackishness”— a
proprietary algorithmic rating system which scores based on the
likelihood that data could be used for nefarious intent and how recently
the data was made available, with recent results given the most weight.

“Until now, there hasn’t been an easy way to comprehensively measure a
company’s presence on the darknet,” said Mark Turnage, CEO of OWL
Cybersecurity. “Using our proprietary database of darknet content,
combined with our hackishness algorithm, we are able to provide
companies with customized Darknet Index scores that allow them to
measure the efficacy of their cybersecurity efforts over time, and how
they compare to other companies in similar industries.”

The study revealed that every company on the Fortune 500 is exposed on
the darknet. Additional insights from the study include:

Amazon leads the index. The company with the largest darknet
footprint is online retailer Amazon, who has a massive internet
presence and possesses significant customer data.

Technology and telecommunications companies overall are the largest
target. Technology and telecommunication firms have the highest
Darknet Index scores, indicating that they are the most attractive
firms targeted by threat actors.

Based on the results of OWL Cybersecurity’s Darknet Index, it is
apparent that DARKINT is a key factor in a complete information security
approach. This fact also offers a glimpse into the sheer volume of
information available on the darknet and confirms that no company or
organization is without risk on the darknet. Analyzing and monitoring
darknet data as an integral part of a complete cybersecurity program
allows organizations to swiftly detect security gaps and mitigate damage
prior to the misuse of compromised data.

OWL Cybersecurity is based in Denver, Colorado and provides darknet
threat intelligence data and services to allow companies and
organizations to understand and mitigate their own digital risks. OWL
Cybersecurity’s data platform allows companies to see in real-time the
theft, breach, or other compromise of their proprietary data on the
darknet, thus allowing them to both mitigate damage prior to the
information being misused and to highlight gaps in their cybersecurity
perimeter. This database is believed to be the largest database of
darknet content available to commercial users. OWL Cybersecurity
complements this with a full range of cybersecurity consulting services,
including security assessments, penetration testing, application and
code review, incident response, and digital forensics. For more
information, visit www.owlcyber.com.